• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

6950/Green dots in Windows (artifacts?)

A dual link Dvi is only really needed for higher resoloutions or higher refresh rates, there would be no difference if using 1900x1200 or below at 60hz..
 
MOOGLEYS said:
I really cannot see this being a problem with cables as quite a few people are having the same issues. This would mean quite a few different cables being used. Mine also did it when connected using HDMi if that makes any difference I have no idea.
It does seem like some kind of interference that could be causing the green spots but this is more than likely going to be on the board and produced by the card rather than the cable. It could be that something is creating the interference and it is being transmitted throught the DVi/HDMi connection's on the board. ?
The weird thing is that lots of people have said that the green spots have gone away after using the card for a while, Mine has not had any issues in over a week now since getting the spots. I have replaced my PSU but I imagine this was coincedence that the card was fine after.
I would say anyone having this issue should give it a week of use and see if the spots go away before going down the RMA route and getting the card back NFF with a host of charges.
Click to expand...

I actually thought the same thing (regarding something on the card as opposed to the cable).
Sounds like good advise to me. Cheers Moogleys. Will give it a week or two before deciding what to do. They come with 2 years warranty anyhoo :)
 
Last edited:
Sorry to jump on this, but on my 6970 if I boot straight in to windows 7 and then immediately run a 3D game I will get artifact for perhaps 5 to 10 seconds, then they will clear and everything will run fine.

This only does it when booting first thing of a morning, and if I run a 3D game/app
straight away.

If I leave it for a short while after logging into windows and then run 3D stuff they do not appear, or if the PC has been on for a while and I run 3D everything is also fine (even if I reboot)

I have never had any artifacts in 2D mode nor have artifact appeared in my games/3d stuff apart from the first 5 to 10 seconds after boot and running.

These artifacts vary depending on what 3d app is running in WoW login screen it appears like really bad VRAM issue, but like I said it you just wait it will clear, but in Heavenbench mark it shows as "green sparkles" on the title screen.

Just wondered is it is something similar.

Diddy
 
Right here we go.....

http://www.diddyman.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/arti1.avi

Plenty of artifacts, then they will stop, and then kick off again when I move mouse about, and towards the end of the video they are all gone and will never come back until I reboot from cold again the following morning.

It does this in most 3D games, but in Heavenbenchmark, it is more geen spots, I'll get a video of this too.

I wonder if this is normal or not ? a feature ? or something faulty.... but once they are gone I can reload WoW and logon page will be clear.

If I do quickly login with artifacts they persits to the character screen and then in game too for a quick while.

OCUK - Can you comment on this please !!

Cheers
Diddy
 
Last edited:
Have you tried it with the Bios switch in the no 2 position using the stock bios for the card...? What you have is what my xFx card was doing after I unlocked it, with the standard bios it was fine...
 
Not a driver issue at all I have tried every driver released and also the microsoft one via the update.

My card is stock with stock HIS BIOS.

Just had PC off for a couple of hours and when I turned on this issue not longer existed, but come tomorrow morning it will happen again.

Diddy
 
Diddyman said:
Not a driver issue at all I have tried every driver released and also the microsoft one via the update.

My card is stock with stock HIS BIOS.

Just had PC off for a couple of hours and when I turned on this issue not longer existed, but come tomorrow morning it will happen again.

Diddy
Click to expand...

What Psu are you using ? Have you tried a complete uninstall of the drivers using something like driver sweep. I would even try a fresh install of windows just to rule out any driver conflict issues going on. Can you test the card in another machine ? its best to be 100% before Rma or you will get charged fee's and postage.

Edit - Just read that again you have a 6970. What you are getting is exactly what I get with my xFx 6950 with the shaders unlocked or using the 6970 bios, at stock it runs fine. I would say that you have a defective card tbh
 
Last edited:
Woah there, that's some nasty stuff. Only times I've seen that are when the game's incompatible or the card's core needed a reflow.

EDIT: I'm wondering if they did this intentionally with a driver update to stop unlocking, since the Subsys IDs will be the same still..? Anyone on stock BIOS settings here got the problem?

EDIT2: Any videos of the green artifacts? Those particularly interest me, since it could be the VRAM or Mem controllers on the card, or just some weird new glitch, or drivers, idk. I'd know if I see 'em probably, I reflow a lot of cards.

Though when dead VRAM happened to me, I couldn't fraps it.
 
Last edited:
Yep I'm on Stock with my 6970.

However, what I cannot get my head round is that if it was faulty VRAM surely it would happen all the time, but it doesn't its just after a cold boot if you run 3D straight away.

If you dont run 3D straight away - Its fine
If you reboot or switch off and restart - Its fine
If you reload the games after the initial artifact clear - Its fine

After doing a bit of searching it appears that some people also get problem of artifacts first appearing then clearing after a short while after flashing cards from 6950 to 6970.......

Hmmmm.... RMA or not to RMA as otherwise apart from this little glitch its 100% stable with no issues.

Diddy
 
Diddyman said:
Yep I'm on Stock with my 6970.

However, what I cannot get my head round is that if it was faulty VRAM surely it would happen all the time, but it doesn't its just after a cold boot if you run 3D straight away.

If you dont run 3D straight away - Its fine
If you reboot or switch off and restart - Its fine
If you reload the games after the initial artifact clear - Its fine

After doing a bit of searching it appears that some people also get problem of artifacts first appearing then clearing after a short while after flashing cards from 6950 to 6970.......

Hmmmm.... RMA or not to RMA as otherwise apart from this little glitch its 100% stable with no issues.

Diddy
Click to expand...

I'd hang on matey. If what you read is true, then its probably worth seeing if things improve. Im exactly in the same boat as you. I flashed to 6970. Couldnt see any great benefit (didnt want to risk overclocking too much). So flashed it back to 6950.

Thusfar today I only saw a glimpse of red dots on the W7 boot upscreen but that was only for a few seconds and because I had changed the PCIE frequency from 100 to 101 and slightly overclocked my CPU since I was just trying something.

Other than that seems ok. So I will leave it be for a few weeks and see where I am then. Id recommend the same for you bud.
 
Mine looked very different, like tiny specks of green and some red that flicker on the screen in 2D, but only after the card has been stressed for a few mins. If I ran a benchmark and returned to a browser or back to the desktop they appear, and then when I scroll or switch apps they disappear before coming again a few seconds later.

I RMA'd the card but it's currently being returned to me as not faulty having been tested in another rig. So, it's either PSU (which I've upgraded to an HX850 since) or the DVI cable, which is an HP oem that came with my monitor. Or I suppose temps, but these were looking well within range according to Afterburner.

We'll see if the PSU fixes it when the card arrives. (assuming it does, it's been a bit problematic).
 
yeah atm it does not bother me (too much ), and after my last RMA I dont fancy having to do another.

Outside of the "issue", I have not seen any other artifacts in 2D or 3D so I'm not overly concerned, as logic says that it would manifest itself elsewhere, and in Wow, CoD4, CoD Black Ops, Crysis 2, 3dMark 2006 & 2011 and Heaven bench and AVP Bench and perhaps a few other bit there have been no issues at all (unless I run 3D staight away)

Also whilst reading through quite a lot of info (95% is irrelevent) a few have said they removed the CPU clocks back to default and all was then fine.

So later this week I might just boot to default and see what happens...

Diddy
 
Last edited:
Very odd. I have had cards only artifact for a short time then work again which have eventually died altogether though, so it's hard to tell.

Anyone tried earlier drivers that were around at the time the cards were released, just to see if they've locked it from the driver side or something similar? Doubt it but worth a shot. Maybe some of the stock 6970s were actually factory unlocked 6950s if that ever happened.
 
I just got these today, when my PSU is making a sound I hadn't heard before. New one methinks!

Although the green dots disappeared when I switched the cards around :confused: odd, but hey! If it's working it's all good :)
 
Right, had to switch the cards round again. No problems now. Definitely getting a new PSU, can anyone recommend a good value 1kw plus one?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom